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'Doctor Who's' New Companion Jenna-Louise Coleman: 5 Things to Know

The actress has appeared in several British projects and had a small role in "Captain America."

Actress Jenna-Louise Coleman was named as Doctor Who's new companion on Wednesday by executive producer Steven Moffat.

The 25-year-old isn't exactly a newcomer. Coleman has appeared in several British projects, including the soap Emmerdale and Waterloo Road.

She expressed excitement over joining Doctor Who, saying in a statement: "I'm beyond excited, I can't wait to get cracking; working alongside Matt I know is going to be enormous fun and a huge adventure."

Here are five things to know about Coleman:

1. She got her start on a soap opera: The actress starred on British soap Emmerdale, set in a fictional village in Yorkshire Dales, appearing in more than 150 episodes from 2005-09. On the ITV series, Coleman played Jasmine Thomas. She was nominated at the British Soap Awards for best newcomer one year and also was included in the most popular newcomer category at the National Television Awards. In 2009, she was also nominated in several categories, including best actress and sexiest female at the British Soap Awards.

2. She appeared in Captain America: It was a small role, but Coleman appeared as Connie in 2011's summer blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger, which starred Chris Evans. It also marked her big-screen debut.

3. She co-stars in Julian Fellowes' Titanic miniseries: She plays Annie Desmond in the four-part miniseries Titanic. In an interview with The Guardian, Coleman described her character as a "cheeky little cockney." "Fellowes has given me a gift," she said. "I'm the Eliza Doolittle of the ship."

4. She will first appear as the new Doctor Who companion later this year: Coleman is first expected to appear in her new Doctor Who role in the series' Christmas TV special.

5. She played a student in Waterloo Road: Coleman said in an interview that it was "surreal" to go back to school for her role in BBC One drama Waterloo Road. "It was surreal sitting in a classroom doing chemistry lessons again," she said at the time. "And it felt weird putting on the uniform." She was 23 when she landed the role of student Lindsey James in 2009.